Reading up on the situation, it seems (sadly) that there was a lesbian real estate broker (featured in the film), who was leading the "gay" gentrification of the area. This broker also got on local, state and even federal authorites to enforce various code violations which previously had not been addressed for ages (20 years or longer in some cases). This was part of the "rage" felt by long time residents, and the back drop for filiming Miss. Mitchell's plight. Her home did not become that way overnight, and like others had sit sitting going to ract and ruin for quite some time. Once the real estate agent began making phone calls, and threatening lawsuits a flood of inspectors began siting homes, forcing residents to spend funds many didn't have to repair their homes. Those who could not afford said repairs faced the same choice as Miss. Mitchell, sell the home or risk having it condemed.
The same person began the effort with other "outsiders" to have the area declared a "historic area". Once a area is landmarked in such a way, home owners are faced with limits on what they can and cannot do to their property. This upsets people all over the United States, and for poor minorites in this area, was seen as an effort by the "outsiders" to have the government "take" their homes.
What bothered some people in the area was the same old story, they being "poor" did not have the access to credit/financing or other funds, while the "wealthy outsiders" could rely on banks, friends or other forms of credit to come up with tens of thousands of dollars to buy homes in the area. One man bought his home for only $35,000 that his parents lent him for 60 days. Generally it is not easy to get a mortgage on a home that is not livable, so one needs to either make a large downpayment or come up with the money some other way.
Oh yes, the title of the flim "Flag Wars", came about because after the gay people began to fly flags from their homes, the local African-American residents began to fly their's in response.
L.
